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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. charge — a price
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. mate — a partner
  8. drill — army training
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. rush — hurry
  14. charge — electricity
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. season — of the year
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. charge — in control
  19. drill — a practice
  20. mate — to breed
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. drill — the tool
  23. season — in sport
  24. mate — a friend

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com